Students will be able to obtain boxed and canned food and fresh vegetables and fruits for free as of Monday.
Swoop’s Student Food Pantry opened in Marshall and is designed to help students get the food they need regardless of income.
The pantry’s hours are 3-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. the first Friday of the month and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. the second Saturday of the month.
The pantry can be found in room 321 of Marshall.
Student Haley Moraniec took the initiative to research how to fill a need on campus. She looked at the issues and how other universities respond. She then wrote a proposal and planned the food pantry.
“Lack of food and hunger are unfortunate realities for some of our students,” Moraniec told university communications. “Swoop’s Student Food Pantry will provide a resource for currently-enrolled students in need of temporary assistance.”
The pantry is staffed by volunteers from the School of Social Work. According to the press release, “Volunteers are trained in safe food handling, the importance of confidentiality, proper health procedures and the importance of social activism.”
“Swoop’s Student Food Pantry came about because of determined student leadership, and it’s expanding because of contributions from across the University community,” said Lynn Nybell, professor and director of the School of Social Work, in the university’s press release. “The food pantry is an example of how we can work together to assure that talented EMU students are not held back by limited means.”
For the program to be viable, alumni, donors and friends have to support the program, according to Moraniec.
“Generous sponsorship from Food Gatherers has helped open our doors, but we’ll need support from the EMU community and our donors and friends to keep our shelves stocked this fall,” Moraniec told university communications.
The pantry accepts food donations, but the food is checked for expiration dates and to make sure it complies with any health and safety regulations. Financial donations are also accepted.
Additional information can be found on thestudent food pantrywebsite, emich.edu/swoopspantry.
